Abstract
270 samples of different types of pasta and cereal products, distributed in a nursery school canteen in Milan (Italy), were analyzed to estimate the occurrence of ochratoxin A. OTA was found in all analyzed samples (100%), 39 samples exceeded the maximum limit established by European Commission Regulation for OTA in the foodstuffs listed in the relevant category. The mean concentration of ochratoxin A in samples of pasta, intended for children (over 5 months) consumption was 0.56 μg/kg; the mean concentration in organic pasta was 0.91 μg/kg and the mean concentration detected in cereal products was 3.12 μg/kg. Considering that in European Countries wheat products are the first solid food eaten by babies from the earliest stages of weaning and in the light of the multiple and repeated international food alert notification on OTA occurrence in cereals and cereals product, surveillance should be continuous for an effective risk assessment, especially in these vulnerable groups of consumers.
Highlights
Ochratoxins are fungal secondary metabolites produced in particular climatic conditions by several fungal species in the Penicillium and Aspergillus genera [1,2] detected in several food commodities, especially during storage of contaminated wheat, oat and barley [3,4]
Exposure to ochratoxin A (OTA) has been linked with Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN), a chronic tubule-interstitial disease associated with progressive renal fibrosis and tumours of the renal pelvis and urethra [6,7,8,9,10]
The OTA-limit of detection (LOD) results to be lower when compared with LODs of OTA in cereal based products reported by other authors with values between 0.08 ng/g [33,34] and 0.5 ng/g [35]
Summary
Ochratoxins are fungal secondary metabolites produced in particular climatic conditions by several fungal species in the Penicillium and Aspergillus genera [1,2] detected in several food commodities, especially during storage of contaminated wheat, oat and barley [3,4]. OTA has several adverse effects; depending on its nephrotoxicity in the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) has classified this mycotoxin as a possible human carcinogen (Group 2B) [5]. Human epidemiology is still inconclusive and expert group, as Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), continually reviews epidemiological data. The Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) in 1998 underlined that OTA possesses carcinogenic, nephrotoxic, teratogenic, immunotoxic and possibly neurotoxic properties [11] Exposure to OTA has been linked with Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN), a chronic tubule-interstitial disease associated with progressive renal fibrosis and tumours of the renal pelvis and urethra [6,7,8,9,10].
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